Physical Quantities (Electrical), Symbols and Units

Quantity

Symbol

Unit

Abbreviation of Unit after Numerical Value

Force

F

newton

N

Work

or

Energy

W

joule

or

newton metre

J

or

Nm

Torque

T

newton metre

Nm

Power

P

watt

W

Time

t

second

s

Angular Velocity

w

radians per second

rad/s

Speed

N

revolutions per minute

rev/min

(sometimes r.p.m.)

n

revolutions per second

rev/s

(sometimes r.p.s.)

Electric Charge

Q

coulomb

C

Potential Difference (p.d.)

V

volt

V

Electromotive force (e.m.f.)

E

volt

V

Current

I

ampere

A

Resistance

R

ohm

W

Resistivity

(specific resistance)

r (rho)

ohm metre

Wm

Conductance

G

siemens

S

Magnetomotive force (m.m.f.)

F

ampere-turn

At

Magnetic field strength

H

ampere-turn per metre or ampere per metre

At/m or

A/m

Magnetic flux

f (phi)

weber

Wb

Magnetic flux density

B

tesla

T

Reluctance

S

ampere-turn or ampere per weber

At/Wb or A/Wb

Absolute permeability of free space

m0 (mu)

henry per metre

H/m

Absolute permeability

m

henry per metre

H/m

Relative permeability

mr

-

-

Self inductance

L

henry

H

Mutual inductance

M

henry

H

Reactance

X

ohm

W

Impedance

Z

ohm

W

Frequency

F

hertz

Hz

Capacitance

C

farad

F

Absolute permittivity of free space

e0  (epsilon)

farad per metre

F/m

Absolute permittivity

e

farad per metre

F/m

Relative permittivity (dielectric constant, specific inductive capacity)

er

-

-

Electric field strength, electric force

-

volts per metre

V/m

Electric flux

Y (psi)

coulomb

C

Electric flux density, electric displacement

D

coulomb per square metre

C/m2

Active power

P

watt

W

Reactive power

Q

volt ampere reactive

VAr

Apparent power

S

volt ampere

VA

Phase difference

f (phi)

degree

0

Power factor (p.f.)

Cos f

-

-

 


 

Conversion into SI Units

To Convert

Multiply by

Conversely Multiply by

Distance

inches –  millimetres

    25.400

     0.0394

inches – centimetres

      2.540

     0.3937

feet – metres

      0.3048

     3.2808

yards – metres

      0.914

     1.094

miles – kilometres

      1.6093

     0.621

nautical miles – kilometres

      1.852

     0.539

nautical miles – metres

1852

     0.0005399

fathom – m

     1.8228

     0.5487

micron – metre

   10-6

   106

Area

square inches – square millimetres

  645.16

   15.50

square inches – square centimetres

      6.4516

     0.1550

square feet – square metres

      0.0929

   10.764

Volume

cubic inches – cubic centimetres

    16.387

      0.061

cubic feet – cubic metres

      0.02832

    35.315

gallons – litres (1 litre = 1 cubic decimetre)

      4.546

      0.220

gallons – m3

      4.546 x 10-3

  219.9

litre – m3

    10-3

    103

pint – m3

      0.568 x 10-3

1760.5

quart – m3

      1.136 x 10-3

  879.9

ocean tons – cubic metres

      1.132

      0.883

gallons/minute – m3/h

      0.273

      3.666

Velocity

feet/s – m/s

      0.3048

      3.281

miles/h – km/h

      1.609

      0.6215

knots (nautical mile per hour) – m/s

      0.5144

      1.943

mile/h – m/s

      0.447

 

Mass

gram – kg

    10-3

    103

pound (lbm) – kg

      0.45359237

      2.2046

slug – kg

    14.59

      0.0685

ton – kg

1016

      0.9842 x 10-3

tonne (metric) – kg

    103

    10-3

tons – tonnes

      1.016

      0.984

Pressure

tons/in2 – kg/mm2

      1.575

      6.635

dyne/cm2 – N/m2

      0.1

    10

kgf/ cm2 – kN/m2

    98.07

      0.0102

p.s.i. (lbf / inch2) – kg/mm2

      0.070

    14.223 

p.s.i. (lbf / inch2) – kN/m2

      6.89476

      0.145

inches of water – N/m2

  249.5

      4.008 x 10-3

feet of water – kN/m2

      2.989

      0.3345

inches of Hg – kN/m2

      3.386

      0.2953

mm of Hg – kN/m2

      0.1333

      7.502

torr – mm of Hg 

      1

      1

Pascal (Pa) – N/m2

      1

      1

bar – kN/m2

  100

      0.01

atm – kN/m2

  101.333

98.69 x 10-3

 

 

 

Conversion into SI Units

To Convert

Multiply by

Conversely Multiply by

Density

gram/cm3 – kg/m3

    103

    10-3

pound/foot3 – kg/m3

    16.02

      0.0624

pound/inch3 – kg/m3

    27.679 x 109

    36.123 x 10-12

slug/foot3 – kg/m3

  515.4

      1.94 x 10-3

Force

dyne – N

   10-5

    105

kgf – N   

     9.807

      0.102

lbf – N

     4.44822

      0.2248

Energy

Erg – J

   10-7

    107

calorie – J

     4. 1868

      0.2388

foot-pound – J

     1.356

      0.7375

Btu – kJ

     1.05506

      0.9478

Power

erg/second – W = Nm/s = J/s

   10-7

    107

foot-pound/second – W

     1.356

      0.7375

horsepower – kW

     0.7457

      1.341

horsepower – W

 745.700

1341

horsepower (metric) – kW

     0.7355

      1.360

British h.p. (745.7 w) – metric h.p. (735.5w)

     1.014

      0.986

Discharge

cusecs (ft3/s) – m3/s   

     0.02832

    35.33

gpm (gallons / min) – m3/s

     3.0758 x 103

      0.3251 x 10-3

litre/s – m3/s

   10-3

    103

pound/sec – kg/s

     0.4536

      2.204

 

Prefixes, Symbols, Multiples and Sub-multiples of the S.I. System

Prefix

Symbol

Units Multiplying Factor

tetra

T

1012

giga

G

109

mega

M

106

kilo

k

103

hecto

h

102

deca

da

101

deci

d

10-1

centi

c

10-2

milli

m

10-3

micro

m

10-6

nano

n

10-9

pico

p

10-12